Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki will begin running next week

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The Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki are recovering from offseason surgeries and are hopeful about starting on opening day, the team reported on Saturday.

Both players are former All-Stars and have battled injuries on and off over the last two seasons. They are expected to start running drills next week, and both are expected to be ready for the first game.

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"There are still some things they need to do on the field before they're even ready to go into a game — running bases, specifically," Weiss said. "Last year, we'd have been very happy with the way they're at right now when we thought about their recovery and everything they had to go through. With where they are now, we're very encouraged by it."

Tulowitzki was off to a sizzling start last season. He was batting .340 with 21 home runs and 58 RBI's before injuring his hip and shutting down on July 19. Gonzalez struggled last year, but is a career .294 hitter. The pair would give the Rockies one of the deepest lineups in the league, teaming up with young third baseman Nolan Arenado and steady veteran Justin Morneau. 

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